1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device system, terminal device, an electronic device system control method, and a control program for setting a device in a sleep mode when an unused state continues for a predetermined period.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, portable electronic devices, such as smartphones (advanced portable telephones) and tablet terminals, are significantly prevalent. These electronic devices have a communication function, and wireless communication is used among various electronic devices for data transmission and reception. Also, electronic devices such as wristwatches and digital cameras having a communication function are recently increasing.
These portable electronic devices, which are activated by built-in batteries, have a problem in that the power consumption is increased when various functions including the above-described communication function are provided therein, whereby usable time by the batteries is disadvantageously shortened.
In particular, in a small-sized electronic device with small battery capacity, such as in a wristwatch, usable time by built-in batteries is an important factor that affects the device usability and performance.
In order to solve this problem, in many portable electronic devices, a method is adopted in which, when an unused state of an electronic device continues for a predetermined time period, the supply of driving power to the embedded electronic circuits is at least partially interrupted or stopped, and specific functions or most functions of the device are set to enter a sleep mode so as be temporarily stopped.
This type of electronic device is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) Publication No. 2001-320453. In a technology disclosed therein, in order to improve the usability of a portable wireless communication device and prolong its usable time by a battery, the incoming call reception function is set to be in a sleep mode for a predetermined time period by a sleep mode switch provided to the wireless communication device being pressed (turned ON). Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) Publication No. 2001-320453 also discloses a technology in which, when a sleep mode release switch is pressed (turned ON) with the wireless communication device being in the sleep mode, the incoming call reception function is released from the sleep mode.
In this wireless communication device, the user is required to manually press (turn on) the sleep mode release switch to release the sleep mode, which is bothersome.
In addition, if the target wireless communication device is in a pocket, bag, or the like, the user is required to take it out every time it is necessary, which takes time.
As another method for releasing an electronic device having a wireless communication function from a sleep mode, a method is known in which a sleep mode is released from outside via normal wireless communication using a modulated signal wave. In this method, the user is not required to manually perform a sleep mode releasing operation, which reduces the bother of the releasing operation.
However, in this method, even when the electronic device is in the sleep mode, a normal communicating state which requires relatively high power consumption is kept so that wireless communication is constantly available. Therefore, there is a problem in that usable time is shortened when this method is used in an electronic device having relatively small battery capacity.